Flaccid back chairs, as used herein, are chairs having a backrest formed from a material or combination of materials that crumple, fold or bend and which provide support by being combined with a pair of support rods or some other support structure having members substantially more rigid than the backrest. A common example of a flaccid back chair is a collapsible chair having a fabric backrest stretched between two vertical support rods. Numerous other examples of flaccid back chairs can be found by referring to the chairs described in the set of U.S. patents in class 295, subclass 47, each of which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety.
In some instances, the backrest portion of a flaccid back chair hangs from a cross member that extends horizontally across the back of the chair, while in other instances the backrest portion slides onto the ends of two or substantially more vertical support rods. Such vertically supported flaccid back chairs are of particular interest because of a tendency for the backrest to suffer damage at the point of contact between the ends of such vertical support rods and the backrest, and because of inefficiencies of known methods of producing such chairs.
In many instances such vertical support rods are coupled to a backrest by forming elongated pockets in the backrest, and sliding the ends of the support rods into the pockets. It is important to note that forming the pockets substantially increases the time required to form the chair. As such, methods of forming flaccid back chairs that provide a faster alternative to the use of cloth pockets are desirable.
It is also important to note that if one leans on or otherwise pushes down on a center portion of the backrest of such a vertically supported flaccid backed chair, one is essentially forcing the ends of the support rods against the top of the pockets. Doing so has a tendency to cause excessive wear on the seams of the pocket, and/or on the material from which the pocket is formed. As such, it is desirable to utilize a method of supporting a backrest that results in less wear when downward pressure is applied to a center portion of the backrest. In response,
The following disclosure provides for methods and apparatus that increase durability and reduce production time of flaccid backed chairs.